Chapter 535: The Luckiest Draw
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
“He Saved Arican Track and Field!”
“Chinese Coach Becos the Savior of the Arican Track and Field!”
“From Weakest to Strongest, He Made the Arican Track and Field Team Coback!”
Looking at the titles of articles, Jas realized that he was actually a man of principles compared to these sports reporters. At least his article was not as exaggerated.
Generally speaking, it was normal for Arican reporters to use a flashy title to attract readers’ attention. Sotis, the content had nothing to do with the title at all.
Jas sighed helplessly. He was a professional sport comntator and he wanted to provide readers with a more professional analysis. Unfortunately, he had to yield to the market to survive. Therefore, he wrote the article that readers wanted to read, rather than those that he wanted to write.
When can I end this kind of life? Feeling depressed, Jas stood up and opened a bottle of whiskey, hoping alcohol could make him feel better.
anwhile, Dai Li was speaking to Arican journalists in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Today was the eighth day of track and field events, and only two events were scheduled for the day: the n’s 5km and the won’s 20km heel-and-toe walking race. These two events were not held in Maracana Stadium. The Arican team was not like to win the gold dal in these two events, so they didn’t have their hopes up. Dai Li had no real competitions all the day, so he had ti to do interviews.
The journalist this ti was arranged by U.S. Track and Field Association. The company the journalist worked for got several great advertising contracts from the association, so the journalist was going to report sothing that benefited the association.
Because of this, the questions the journalist asked were favorable to the team. He actually tried to stay away from any unpleasant information about the Arican team.
“Coach Li, as of yesterday, our team has won 18 gold dals. This is the best result in the history of Arican track and field team at the Olympic Gas. There are three days left until the end of the Olympics so, may I ask you, how many gold dals do you think your team will win by the end?” This was the journalist’s last question.
“As of right now, we won’t have a problem getting 20 gold dals. We are still favored in the relay race. However, I am not setting my target at 20.” Dai Li paused for a while and said, “I want my team to win more than 25 gold dals by the end.”
“25!” The journalist was astonished. He said, “Coach Li, you see, on the last day, the marathon is the only track and field event. Therefore, track and field events are only tonight and tomorrow. That ans that your team has to win at least 7 gold dals in those two days.”
“It’s a little difficult, but not impossible. I have faith,” said Dai Li confidently.
The journalist nodded. He took his recording pen and put it into his pocket. He asked, “Coach Li, your answer to my last question may be controversial. Should I make so modification or just report it as you said?”
Dai Li imdiately understood the journalist, who was afraid that Dai Li would co across too braggy.
It’s normal to talk big before a ga in Arican culture. Why doesn’t it work for ? Dai Li complained in his head. Out loud, he said, “It doesn’t matter. Just report it as I said. You’ll hear the good news by tomorrow night.”
...
“Interview with Dai Li, the Head Coach of Track and Field Team: His goal is 25 gold dals”
In the afternoon, this headline was all over Arica.
A conversation could be heard in the coach lounge of the University of Oregon.
“25 gold dals? How dare he say that!” A bearded coach said angrily, pointing to the tablet computer in his hand. “There are only 13 track and field events that have not yet been decided. If he wants to win 25 gold dals, he has to win 7 from the remaining 13 events. It’s impossible!”
“Take it easy,” Coach Logan waved his hand to motion the man to calm down. “Young n are always arrogant after success. Even if he can’t win 25 gold dals, he can surely win 20, which is still a record. Could any of you do that?”
“Dai Li is just lucky. These achievents belong to the powerful athletes!” said a coach angrily.
“Do you think that he is just lucky? Would you have let Muller on our team without tryouts? Would you have the guts?” Logan snorted and went on, “I told you before, every successful person has quality and rit that others don’t. If you were the sa quality, you would as successful as him.”
“Well, I know I’m not as good as him. I just can’t stand his arrogance! He’s a an guy,” the bearded coach said.
“If he were an Arican coach, would you think so?” Logan said indifferently. “We Arican people have thought of ourselves as the best for too long, and we naively think that the other countries are inferior to us. When countries less advanced than us make progress, our first reaction is to deny it and say it’s fake. In fact, sotis our subjective judgnt is totally opposed to reality. We always believe what is most appealing. Maybe we need to lose badly so we realize that we aren’t as great as we think we are.”
...
After seeing the journalist off, Dai Li started to consider the competitions that night.
In that night’s field, there were only two preliminary events, the n’s and won’s 4x400m relay races. Considering strong the Arican team was in 400m events, it would be fairly easy to win these two gold dals. Dai Li didn’t have to worry about these two preliminary gas.
Other than the relay races, the other events were finals. That night was the won’s pole vault, the n’s weight throw, the won’s 5000m running, the n’s and won’s 4x100m relay race.
No Arican athlete qualified for the final of n’s weight throw. With Kenya and Ethiopia in the competition, it was nearly impossible for other countries to win the gold dal in won’s 5000m running. As for the won’s pole vault, many strong European athletes were qualified in the final so it might be hard for Arican athletes to win the gold dal. However, it was possible for them to win one dal.
Dai Li mainly focused on n’s and won’s 4x100m relay race.
This event had been viewed with respect for a long ti. It was seen as a way to asure a country’s overall sprinting ability.
Before the rise of the Jamaicans, the Arican team had always been dominant in both the n’s and won’s 4x100m relay race. The Arican team always won the championship as long as they didn’t make any mistakes.
However, the Jamaican team had overshadowed the Arican team in sprinting events recently, and they had won the gold dal for the 4×100 relay race for two consecutive years. Many people regarded Jamaica as the largest sprinting power in the world.
The Jamaican team doesn’t have Gittell in the n’s relay race, so they are much weaker than before. Our team has Alexander and Ford. This ti the Jamaican team is not better than the Arican team.
It will be harder for the won’s team. In the 100m dash and the 200m dash, there were two Jamaican females that were competitive. The won on my team can’t be compared to them, even with the help of my title “continuous iron chain”. Our probability of winning is just 50-50.
I need to find a way to increase our chance of winning. Li thought for a while and rembered the new prop he received recently.
Should I try that prophecy box? Maybe it can help . Thinking this, Dai Li entered the system and took out that prophecy box.
He shook it a few tis and one bamboo stick ca out from the box.
Dai Li took up the stick and saw two words on it: the luckiest.
The luckiest draw! I’m lucky. Dai Li couldn’t help looking down and he saw a few words appeared on the stick:
“Let Halyna Bob be the third runner.”
“Let Halyna Bob be the third runner? Is this the luckiest draw? Really? How can it be the luckiest draw? I think it’s more like the worst draw. I must have read it wrong,” Dai Li talked to himself.
Halyna Bob was only 19 years old. She was the worst among the four athletes in the relay race and she had the least experience. If the Arican team had not been affected by the drug scandal, she would not have had the chance to even be in the relay race because more famous sprinters would have been available.
In the relay race, the weakest runner was always the first runner. The one strong at sprinting went second, the one with the best overall ability went third, and the most powerful went fourth.
Generally, the third and the fourth runner were the most significant. The third runner was an important link and, therefore, was often the most trusted by the coach.
On the Arican team, Halyna Bob was the first runner.
Dai Li dared not expect too much of her. She was not fast enough and was too young. However, she was youthfulness gave her a quick reaction ti. This qualified her to be the first runner.
Nevertheless, the luckiest draw said that Halyna should be the important third runner. It really was the worst decision Dai Li could think of.
“How can I put Halyna in such an important position? She is not the fastest, most able, most stable, or most experienced. More importantly, she just learned how to pass the baton and she never learned how to receive the baton at all! Maybe the luckiest draw is wrong,” said Dai Li.
A difference between the first runner and the third was that the first one only had to pass the baton, while the third runner not only had to pass the baton but also had to receive the baton. This made being the third runner more complicated.
The transfer of the baton in the relay was not simple. The runner who received the baton should run slowly at first before receiving the baton. Given the speed of the athletes, the transfer of baton was not easy work.
Besides, it would be a foul if the athletes didn’t complete the transfer within the passing zone. The passing zone was only 20 ters long. It was a quite long distance, but it only took 10s for athletes to finish 100m. Therefore, the athletes only had two seconds to complete the transfer of the baton. Neither side could make any mistakes or they would lose the whole competition.
As Halyna Bob was the first runner, she didn’t need to receive the baton. She just practiced passing without practicing receiving. Without regarding her ability or experience, how dare Dai Li let the athlete who hadn’t practiced receiving the baton be the third runner.
At this ti, the system in Dai Li’s head said, “Don’t doubt the prophecy box. The power of the prophecy box is not telling you which decision is the best or the worst but it’s telling you its prophecy.”
“I see. You an that the decision of the prophecy box must be correct.” Dai Li nodded, but he was still hesitating whether he should believe the words of the luckiest draw.
Then the system spoke again, “You humans are always afraid of the unknown. How much are you willing to pay to know the future?”
Dai Li was still hesitant but he didn’t know how to respond to that question.
“I don’t know,” Dai Li shook his head. “I don’t know how much it will cost.”
“You think that any cost is too high for the ability of prophecy, right?” asked the system.
“You are trying to remind of the value of prophecy?” asked Dai Li.
The system didn’t say anything, and Dai Li knew what to do.
“Well, I’ll let Halyna Bob be the third runner just as the luckiest draw indicated I should!”
Reviews
All reviews (0)